Bucket dredging-machine



(No Model.)

D. URIE.v

BUCKET DREDGING MACHINE.

Patented. Jan. 4, 188.7.

Iig, 3,

N. PETERS mwmmgmpm. wnmngmn. D. r

` UNITED STATES PATENT K-OEE'ICE,

DAVID URIE, on KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BUCKET DRI-:DemG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersvPatent No. 355,488, dated January4, 1887.

Application filed October 27, 1885.

To all whom-it may concern: v

Be it knownthat I, DAVID URIE, of Kansas City, in thel county of Jacksonand State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Bucket DredgingMachines; and vI do hereby declare (that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, referencebeing'had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

The object of my invention is, first, to provide an efficient means ofattaching the buckets to the chain or endless belt in such a manner asto arrive at an easy and proper self-adjustment of the same to thelatter whenever each of the buckets passes over the end drums ortumblers. p

My invention relates, secondly, to the novel and improved constructionof the ladder or bucketcarrying frame, whereby each bucket, in itsdownward movement, and at that point where its scooping action takesplace, becomes isolated from the rest of the buckets, so that but onebucket shall embed itself into the soil at a given time, thereby givingthe soil sufficient time to accumulate again in the channel dug out byeach preceding bucket for the action of the next following one.

My invention relates, thirdly, to the novel construction ofthescoop-bucket itself, whereby I am enabled, in connection with theimproved forms of the aforementioned features, to dig and elevate alarger quantity of soil with each bucket than by means of the presentsystem of dredging.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l 4o illustrates,in sideelevation,my improved form `of dredging-machines. Fig. 2 shows anenlarged view, in front elevation, of a scoopbucket with part of endlesschain; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2.

A is the dredging-vessel of any desired form.

B is the boiler, with engine, which latter transmits power by means ofbelt or gearing to the driving-shaft C.

D is the bucket ladder, made of Wood or iron,

5o with king-post, transverse trussesstriits, and

tie-bolts sufticiently strong tosustain the load of the buckets withtheir contents.

seliaI No. 181,055.2. (No moda.)

buckets F are attached in a certain manner, more fully describedhereinafter.

The ladder is raised or lowered in the usual way by means of chains orropes passing around a barrel and working in sheaved blocks, whichare'suspended from the timber-framing. These ladders or bucketcarryingframes D have heretofore been constructed on a straight unbroken linefrom end to end. Part of my improvement consists in breaking thisstraight line, and letting the same assume, at or near its lowerextremity, a steeper incline, so as to approach to an almost verticalposition, as shown at a in Fig. l. Thebuckets F, which follow vE is theendless belt or chain, to which the' the outlines ofthe bucket-ladderD,will thereby be vkept away from the soil until such time when the samearrive at the lower barrel, G, and, rounding the latter, will dig intothe soil and commence its upward course before the next following bucketarrives at the same spot. This enables the `flow of the under-current ofwater to rush into the dug-out channel sufficient material again inorder to allow the following bucket to scoop out an equal amount ofsoil. This feature is especially essential Where the soil consists ofsand, mud, or 'other shifting. material. In the old system of dredgingmore than one bucket is allowed simultaneously to approach the soil byreason of the more horizontal position ofthe buckets at their time ofaction upon the soil. This very often causes the filling of one bucketwhile a certain number of the following buckets -are left nearly orquite empty for Want of accumulating material in the dug-out channel.

In case the river or harbor bed is very shalf low and the lower endofthe bucket-ladder has to be raised considerably more than in thevaccompanying drawings, perhaps two of the -and subjecting it toconsiderably more wear and tear.

The buckets F are made in the usual way', from boiler-iron rivetedtogether, and are each Afastened to the endless chains by means of a.

IOO

bar or shaft, H, which traverses the bucket F from side to side. Theseshafts H are fixed in journals b to the chain E, which latter is made oflinks d d, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Guide or running rollers Iare keyed or otherwise attached to the outer extremities of the shaft Hand run upon rails i, fastened to the carriage-way of the bucket-ladderD. A staple, J, serves to help connect the shaft H to the bucketsV F, asshown. By removing one of the end keys or plugs f in the shaft Hthe'latter can at will be withdrawn, and thereby enable the workman torepair or substitute new buckets in a comparatively short time.

A second shaft or bar traverses each bucket at the lower end of thesame. The ends of this bar project sufficiently long to engage with aslot or opening`forxned between the bucket-chain and the bracket g,which is attached to one ofthe links cl2. The object of this arrangementis principally to allow of sufficient sclf-adjustment oi' the4 bucketsto the chain at the time that the buckets round the barrels G G. Thebuckets have heretofore been `rigidly attached to the respectivelinks ofthe chain,whicli causes a strain and a good deal of wear to this part ofthe machinery, besides increasing the friction and consequent loss ofpower.

The buckets F are provided o n their front side with apertures equallydistributed, for the purpose of emitting the water from the soil in thebuckets.

The gentle curve on the front of the bucket-s downwardlyfrom the mouthto the base serves for the purpose of presenting the scrapingedge h tothe soil when in action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is- 1 1. In a bucket dredging'machine, abucketladder having its lower end 'set at an angle to the upper portion,in combination with endless belts or chains to which the buckets areattached by means of a transverse bar, H, 'which is journaled inbearings on the chains, and the second transverse bar, H2, theprojecting ends of which engage with the slot or groove placed upon theendless chains, as shown and described.

2. In a bucket dredging-machine, a bucketladder or frame consisting ofsides framed together and made straight from the top downward for thegreater portion of their length, andhaving their extreme lower ends setat an angle with the main portion of the said ladder, in combinationwith rails secured to the carriage-way and obliging the descending partof the bucketftchain to follow the outline of the said ladder, so thatthe buckets may approach the soil at a steeper angle, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. In a bucket-dredging machine, the combination of buckets F, providedwith staples J, the shafts H, passing through the said buckets andprovided with rollers on each end, the bars H2, also passing through thesaid buckets, andithe endless chains E, provided with brack` ets whichform slots for the ends of the said bars, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

p In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereto aiiix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID URIE.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. ENGLIsH, LINCOLN ALBERTsoN.

